Everywhere to me
by Ryokou
Summary: Temari is sent to Konoha. She doesn't know how long she'll be staying, or who she'll stay with. And what will happen when a certain shinobi catches her eye? A/N: It's not the best summary, but it's a good story. It's Not your usual love story. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Sakura hurried into the ICU to begin her scheduled check on the new patients. She was assigned to ICU unit 3, which was usually full of leaf genin hurt during the simplest of D missions, but this time the patient was a bit different.

The sand kunoichi exhaled heavily, clearly very irritated. In the corner of the small room stood Yamanaka Ino, looking rather smug.

"Look, all I'm saying is stay away from him! He's on MY team, and it's not as if he actually likes you anyways."

"Ooh, good point. He's on YOUR team. I bet you save his life a lot, being on the same team as him and all."

Temari replied with her usual sharp tounge. Before Ino could come up with a way to retaliate, Sakura walked in.

"Ino!" she exclaimed. "Ugh. I'm not in the mood for you right now." she sighed. "Besides-" she added "You're bothering my patient."

Ino opened her mouth to reply, then thought better of it, though she could not seem to resist one last jab.

"Remember what I said, sand-girl."

and with that, she stalked out of the room.

Temari rolled her head back against the pillow and groaned.

"What?" asked Sakura, bustling around the various tables set up in the hospital room. "Is your medication wearing off?" she asked, concern showing in her eyes.

Temari looked at her incrediously. "Are you kidding!?! That doesn't bother me. I'm just suprised one person can be such a bitch!"

"Yeah, well, thats kind of her 'special' talent." Sakura replied, laughing. "Anyways." she continued, an optimistic glint in her eyes. "Your vitals are good, and you're almost fully healed, so Tsunade says we can release you tomorrow!"

"Good." Temari said. "I'd rather not spend my time here stuck in the hospital, no offense to you." "None taken." Sakura replied. "Honestly, It can kind of get boring." she whispered, as if afraid of being overheard.

Temari's gaze suddenly shifted to a flashing light above the door. "Uh, Sakura?" Temari asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm wondering what that Green, now flashing light above the door means."

"What? Oh. That means you have a visitor." Sakura said, going back to her work.

There was silence as Temari stared at Sakura.

"So...are you going to let them in, or.....?" "Oh! you WANT a visitor? I figured after Ino came, you'd be pretty sick of them." "No, It's too quiet here, bring them in."

"Ok, if you're sure..." replied Sakura, opening the door.


	2. Chapter 2: A visitor

**A/N thanks for reading this far, I promise It'll get more exiting. The story is finished, but I have to post it. =) Comment and reply please! It will only improve my stories, and the rate at which they get posted.**

Temari's pulse quickened as Naruto walked in, followed by Shikamaru. He shot her a lazy smile as he sat on the edge of her bed facing Naruto. "Temari!" Naruto exclaimed, looking exited and slightly shocked. "You-you're healed!" "Heh. Of course I am." Temari replied arrogantly. "These Jinchuriki wounds don't seem to bother me for long." "Mabey _this_ one didn't, but I wouldn't count on being invincible to them or anything." Sakura said skeptically. "I'd say if I am safe after TWO attacks that probably should've killed me-" "Wait!-_two?_" Shikamaru interrupted, making Temari's heart skip a beat. "Gaara has attacked me before." Temari replied matter-of-factly while unzipping her dress on the side to reveal a long scar running across her left hip. After a moment of shocked silence Temari was shocked (and admittedly sightly pleased) to notice that Shikamaru's gaze lingered on her a little longer than nessecary. She glanced up and caught his eyes as he looked away, blushing. Sakura was the first one to break the silence. "Wow..." she breathed. "That wound would've killed a normal person, but you seem fine..." Between coughs, Shikamaru announced "So, she's obviously not normal." "Shut up, crybaby." retaliated Temari. "Still, Temari-chan, I could've hurt you really bad, and-" "NO, shut up Naruto. First of all, I am NOT a _-chan_ Chan is like saying I'm small, cute, and-and fluffy! I am so NOT a chan, It's unbelievable." Shikamaru laughed quietly as Temari glared at him and zipped up her dress. "Well," Shikamaru said "Temari, when Naruto calls you -chan, he _could_ also be reffering to you as his lesser, and while you may actually be higher than him in status, he IS a man, and so he holds a certain superi-" "Oh, will you SHUT UP with your gender stereotypes! I could beat you any day and you know it!" "heh. I might have to take you up on that offer." replied Shikamaru, flashing her a flirty smile. _Oh my god. _thought Temari _He really is kinda hot..._ "Oh-uh, yeah." said Temari, stuttering. As if to save Temari from further embarrasment, Sakura looked up at the clock. "Sorry to have to kick you guys out, but visiting hours are LONG over, and we really need to prepare Temari for her release tomorrow." "Oh! Sorry to keep you busy." said Naruto. "By the way, Temari? Tenten says to meet her by the new sukiyaki resturant tomorrow, if you have the energy to walk." "Ok," said Temari. "tell her I'll be there." Ever since the two kunoichi had battled in the chunin exams, they had somehow become best friends. "Then we'll be off." said Naruto "Oh, and Sakura-chan, thank you for taking care of Temari." He finished as he stretched and left the room. Wordlessly, Shikamaru stood up and followed Naruto out of the room, unaware that Temari's gaze followed him all the way.


	3. Chapter 3: carried away

**A/N: I just figured out that I could format it differently, so it looks less bad....whatever. Thank you guys SO MUCh for reading, keep commenting. **

Shikamaru may have been unaware, but Sakura certainly wasn't.

As soon as the two shinobi had left the room, she burst out laughing.

"Whats so funny!?!" Temari demanded, as if she had missed out on an important joke.

"You-you like Shikamaru! " Sakura managed to choke out, still shaking with laughter. "Wha-! why do you think that!?!?!" Temari sputtered. "You're wrong! I would never like someone like him!" "Come on! I saw the way you looked at him! Besides, with a little work, I'm sure you can have him right were you want him." Sakura said, smiling suggestively. "Sakura!" Temari shouted. "I don't want him at all, anywhere!" Sakura stood up, getting off the bed, and began filing the various papers sitting on the table. "Come on, you're not even fooling yourself." Sakura said. "Admit it, there's SOMETHING about him you like...."

Temari looked away, blushing.

After a moment of silence, Sakura sighed.

"Allright, well, you need to go to bed so you can be up early for your discharge tomorrow."

Sakura walked over to the door and shut the lights off. "See you in the morning." she said, silhouetted in the doorway. "Oh, and think about what I said, I'm sure you can have him." She said with a wink.

As Sakura shut the door, Temari sighed and leaned back in the bed, closing her eyes.

She thought of tomorrow, and going to meet Tenten.

Tenten always wanted to talk about the boys, as tomboyish as she seemed, and she always asked Temari who she liked, though the answer was always "No one."

_well, _she thought, _Tomorrow, the answer MIGHT change...._


	4. Chapter 4: Dreaming

**A/N: I've been really busy, posting as I can, I dont have regular computer acess. Anyways, thanks for reading, I live off your reviews. I hope you are enjoying the story so far, message me if you have any suggestions. =) **

**PS. I wrote this while listening to Romi Paku and Shoutaro Morikubo (Shika and Tema's voice actors.) They have a song together, and I would really reccomend it! It's called: "Voice for you." go look it up, listen, and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN NARUTO. **

"Damn."

Shikamaru sighed as he looked at his alarm clock.

7:50 am.

_The hospital releases patients at 8:00_

"Ugh." Shikamaru muttered to himself.

"I need to get her off my mind." He said flatly as he looked out the window at the few clouds floating freely in the sky.

"This is such a drag. Maybe I'll just take a walk."

Shikamaru crept downstairs, careful to be quiet enough not to wake his mom, and stepped into the kitchen.

To his surprise, his mother already was, cleaning.

"Oh, Shikamaru, is it clean upstairs yet?" she asked, wiping off the table.

"No, why?" Shikamaru asked warily.

"Because your father has arranged for another visitor to stay with us,-"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as his mother finished her sentence.

"-But this one will only be here for two weeks, so stop rolling your eyes."

The young shinobi sighed. His dad was always volunteering their house for other villiages shinobi to stay in while they were in Konoha.

"What village are they from?"

"I've been told either Kirigakure, Suna, or Iwa." she replied.

"It better not be anyone from the rock." Shikamaru said, recalling a previous mission there that had landed him and Chouji spots in the hospital beds. Then, remembering his dreams last night, featuring a certain troublesome sand kunoichi, he added:

"Or Suna."

"Why not Suna?" his mom asked. "We ARE in alliance with them now."

_Yeah, and that just makes it more likely they'll send Temari..._

"Uh_" Shikamaru stalled, not wanting to tell his mom about his relationship with sand, especially not his unclear feelings towards one troublesome girl.

"It's just they-uh-our last two visitors were from there!" he finished.

"I like to learn about different villages." he added for good measure.

There. That was an answer sure to satisfy his mom.

"All right..."she replied, looking slightly suspicious.

"Anyways, I'm going on a walk." Shikamaru said, walking to the door.

'Well, I need you back here by 12:00...And don't leave the village." She added as an afterthought.

_What does she think? That I'm planning on walking to Suna? _

_"Yes, Mom." He replied._


	5. Chapter 5: Walk it off

**A/N: Sorry It takes so long in between posts. My computer acess is really erratic and has no schedule, but I post as soon as I am able to. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing the chapters, the reccomendations are really helpful. *Hands out pocky to those who review* The chapters will start getting longer very soon, expect the next chapter to be about double this one. I have been working on a new ShikaxTema, and a Royai fic in my spare time, when Im not on the computer. Also, thanks to my Best friend (she knows who she is) for being my model for Tenten's personaility. I wouldn't have to make on up for her if she GOT MORE SCREEN TIME. Thanks for reading, More will be up within a month at the very, very, VERY latets. ^_^**

**Review+Favorite, please!**

**-Skye**

Shikamaru walked down the winter streets of Konoha. It may have been sunny out, but that did not change the fact that the temperature would be a high of 24 degrees that day. It was just past 8:00, but already the capital city of the land of fire was busy. Everywhere Shikamaru looked he saw a familiar face.

To his right, he saw Hinata looking happier than ever, sitting on a bench with Naruto's arm around her, laughing at some joke he came up with. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at this, he knew Hinata had tried so hard to get him to notice her, and it seemed to have finally worked.

Lying under a tree by the bench was Kiba and Akamaru, sleeping. _And he calls ME lazy._ Shikamaru thought with a smirk.

His teammate Ino was in a vendors stall, selling flowers for her family business. She was attracting all kinds of attention, though no one really seemed interested in the flowers. Shikamaru studied Ino closely.

_Sure, her eyes are a nice colour. _He thought. _And she __kinda has a pretty face, I suppose, but she's really skinny. She's just not that pretty altogether. I don't know what everyone sees in her..._

Shikamaru threw one last glance towards her. Ino was certainly enjoying the flirtations of the 'customers' . "Attention-whore." came a female voice from behind. Shikamaru turned around to see Tenten leaning on a nearby tree.

"Really? I haven't noticed. " Shikamaru said sarcastically.

Tenten laughed and rolled her eyes. "Tell me though-do you think she's pretty?"

"Me?" Shikamaru asked. "No, she's too skinny, and besides that, she can be kind of a bitch."

"But she _Likes _you." Tenten stated. "Well, maybe still Sasuke, a little bit, but she told me she wants YOU, and she's certainly been implying you guys are 'together'." she said, making air quotes around 'together'.

Shikamaru nearly tripped over his own feet.

"She WHAT?!?" He demanded.

"See, I had a feeling she was lying. Besides, it's so obvious you like Temari, so no one believes Ino. I wouldn't worry if I were you."

Tenten had a habit of talking rather quickly, so it took Shikamaru a minute to process what she said, but as soon as he did, he began to deny it.

"No!" Shikamaru said defensively. "Tenten, listen, I don't like Temari. In fact, I don't like ANYONE." But then he thought He'd lay it on a bit thicker than that. "Actually-" He said. "Tenten, I was lying before. Don't tell anyone this, but I really like Sakura." He said, trying to put an embarrassed look on his face.

Tenten scrutinized him. "Sorry, but that's completely unbelievable. And weird." She said, making a strange face. "How stupid do you think I am? You should have at least said Ino, at least your stories would match." Tenten finished, re-tying her scarf.

Shikamaru sighed. "Why can't she just chase after someone who likes her? But is there anyone who really LIKES her, and doesn't just want her in their bed for a night?" He finished scathingly.

"Wow. Ok, NOW I believe you don't like her." Tenten mused. "Actually, yeah. Kiba. Kiba likes her a lot, but Ino is a bit too thick to figure it out...tough a big part of it may be the apparent sex appeal..."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, INO's sex appeal, I totally forgot about that." He said, hitting himself in the head. As he finished the last comment, a familiar voice came from down the street.

"Tenten, hey!"

"Temari, you're late again!" Called Tenten turning towards her.

_Oh, shit, no..._Thought Shikamaru as the sand Kunoichi came jogging down the road, seeming completely comfortable in the foreign city.

At least, she SEEMED comfortable until she spotted Shikamaru next to Tenten, which is when her face turned completely red.

"Um, hey Shikamaru." She said, nodding and turning away from him, and back to Tenten.

"This isn't exactly where you said we'd meet...anyways, I'm really sorry I'm late, but Tsunade lost my release papers, and now I have to go get my host family placement. All the hotels are full this time of year, and I still don't know who I'm staying with."

Shikamaru looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and noticed something. Even with her cheeks flushed from the cold, her hair messily tied back, and her long skirt, boots, and jacked wrinkles and messily thrown on, she was, well, pretty. She was definitely different from Ino, who obviously spent hours on her looks each morning. _But besides her looks, there's something about Temari's personality thats just....attractive,_ He thought, surprising even himself with that conclusion, as Tenten's voice brought him back to reality.

"Yeah, I'll go, but we need to stop at my house first." She said, adjusting her hat.

"No problem," replied Temari, smiling, "Just thanks for walking me."

_I wouldn't have minded walking you..._Shikamaru thought as the two kunoichi began to walk away.

After a few steps, Temari turned around. "See you soon, Shikamaru!" she said with a uncharacteristic smile.

"Yeah, I hope so." Shikamaru responded, smiling sheepishly, though neither of them knew just how soon they would be seeing each other.


	6. Chapter 6: Shattered Glass

"Are you sure?!?" the kunoichi demanded.

"The Nara family? are you reading this right?"

"Yes, Temari, the Nara's are the only family available at this time, but if a space opens up during your stay here, I will notify you immediately." the Jounin at the desk said with a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks for trying." Temari sighed. "Please let me know when there's somewhere else to stay."

"Will do." The Jounin replied.

Tenten led the way out of the small office, laughing under her breath.

"There is nothing funny about this! " Temari complained as they steeped outside.

"Sure there is." Tenten replied. "You're trapped in a house with a guy who totally likes you, I hear his parents will be out on missions for a week, and you can deny it all you want, but you feel the same way about him as he does you."

"So, what, total disgust?" the sand kunoichi spat.

"You can say that, but you obviously didn't say the way he looked at you when we left him. So the question is, how far are you gonna let him go, cover a few bases?" Tenten asked.

Temari blushed furiously, then, obviously trying to cover her embarrassment, asked Tenten: "Wow, you sure seem to know a lot, who taught you this stuff, Neji?"

"Uh-" Tenten stuttered, at a loss for words. "Yeah, actually." now it was Tenten's turn to blush, then, looking up through her lashes and smiling suggestively. "What, you want the details?"

"Ew, no!" Temari said with disgust.

"Well..." Tenten said coming to a stop in front of an unfamiliar house. "Here it is, your new home! Have fun!" She winked and ran off, leaving Temari alone.

Shikamaru turned away from Kiba to look through the heavy rain at the large clock in the west side of town.

"Shit. 11:55. I need to get home now, we have a visitor staying with us." He explained to Kiba.

"Another one?" Kiba asked incredulously. "Well, all right, see you later." he replied, turning away as Shikamaru ran home, the rain falling heavier by the minute.

He got home and opened the back door, fully expecting to see a twenty-something man sitting at the kitchen table as there so often was. But this time, after doing a quick scan of the kitchen, all he saw was his dad.

"Hey dad. Um-where's the visitor?"

"She seemed anxious to get out of the house, so she volunteered to run to the market for us."

"She?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yes, nice girl. Not too bad looking either." He said with a wink as Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Oh, by the way, Shikamaru, your mother and I have both been drafted to missions for the next week, so you'll have the house to yourself." Shikaku said as if this were no big deal.

"Oh? when will you be leaving then?"

Shikamaru's father looked up at the clock. "In a few minutes, actually. I should get going. Your mother's team already left for Kusa."

"Oh. Well, I'll see you later then." Shikamaru said, watching his father fill a bottle with water, and with a wave, stride out the back door.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered to himself, looking out the window. _The weather changes so quickly here. _He thought, glancing at the rain outside, where just an hour ago it had been sunny. _She'd better hurry back, or she'll be soaked through...._ Shikamaru ran upstairs and stripped off his wet shirt, throwing it to the bathroom floor. Shikamaru collapsed on his bed. _Might as well get some sleep as long as I have spare time._

Shikamaru woke up 20 minutes later to shattering glass and barely stifled cursing.

"Kiba again." he sighed, and so not bothering to put on a dry shirt, ambled down the stairs. It was a huge shock for Shikamaru to see Temari, and not Kiba, standing in his kitchen, soaking wet and bleeding, her ever-present fan on the floor next to her. _Oh my god. _thought Shikamaru. _Is she my visitor here for a week? Unsupervised? _his mind volunteered, not censoring his thoughts.

"Are you-"

"Your visitor, yeah." Replied Temari, not letting the shinobi finish his sentence. Temari slowly became aware of Shikamaru's eyes on her, from her wet clothes, to the long cut on her arm, and began to blush lightly.

"So, I cut my arm, and some gauze tape would be useful..." she trailed off sarcastically, letting her sentence hang in the air.

"Yeah, and some dry clothes." Shikamaru smirked, though to admit it to himself, she was rather hot, even now, standing there soaking wet.

Temari's prodding voice drew him back to the present. "Hello? Crybaby! I know you're enjoying the view, but could you at least stop my arm from bleeding?" She said, gesturing to her arm.

"Crybaby. You sure do remember things way in the past."

"Well, I figured it would get your attention, and looks like I was right." She said with a smug smile. "But you know, I'm actually really hungry, so maybe you can get some food started, and _I'll _go tape myself up." she said, picking up her fan and heading to the bathroom.

Shikamaru couldn't help but notice the way she walked. Even if he didn't know her, he would be able to tell EXACTLY how confident she was just from it. Shikamaru tore his eyes from her as she stepped lightly into the bathroom.

Waving her hand dismissively, she added: "Oh, and you might want to put on a shirt."

_Troublesome._ He thought as she shut the door, though he couldn't help but smile_._

"I'm going to get some groceries!" He shouted towards the door.

"Have fun!" Came Temari's sarcastic reply.


	7. Chapter 7: Suprise!

**A/N: *sigh* It's been a long week. The Harry Potter marathon is on, and I could just as easily be watching that, but I figured I'd post. Thanks for continuing to read this story, and to answer a question I've gotten a few times, yes, it is my first. Well, Sakura Con 2009 is coming up in Seattle soon, so I'm trying to get the money together to go to that. ^_^ Hope to see some of you there, though I don't know how I'd recognize you...=/ Just carry around a sign looking for me! **

**Anyways, thanks for reading, as always, and please review. It makes writing a lot easier. Trust me. **

Lying in the bathtub, Temari couldn't help but laugh, examining the position she had managed to get into.

Living with Shikamaru for a week would be a challenge for her, she knew that much already. Smiling to herself, she noted it would be just as hard for him to deal with. Temari then came to the realization that this would probably be the last time she would have to herself in a while.

She examined her relationship with Shikamaru. Truly, it was a love-hate relationship. If asked, they would surely both respond that they could barely stand each other, though their actions said otherwise.

They were constantly flirting, if you could call it that, and they definitely worked together well. If she were to confront her feelings, she might admit it was more of a love relationship than a love-hate, at least on her part.

Contrary to what she often reminded him, she could not 'see right through him'. And she also knew, despite the way she acted towards him, if anything bad ever happened to him, she didn't know what she would do.

_And_... Her mind added, _He WAS really hot without a shirt...._

"Shut up." Temari muttered to herself, blushing.

She looked up as she heard the door close.

_God. He JUST left? It's been at least half an hour already!_ she thought to herself, stepping out of the bathtub and grabbing her towel.

_Maybe I'll go out tonight, if it stops raining..._Temari reached for her clothes and felt nothing but air.

"Shit." she said to herself, wrapping a towel around her body.

"This'll have to do for now." she muttered, unlocking the door.

She stepped out of the small room to see Kiba standing in the hall, looking rather shocked.

"What're you doing here?!?" they both sputtered.

Kiba was quick to defend himself, blushing and looking away from Temari's half-naked body.

"I'm here for dinner." he said, sounding embarrassed and shuffling away towards the living room.

"Nice towel." he mumbled, now running down the hall.

"I heard that!!" Temari shouted, grabbing a nearby book with one hand, holding the towel tightly closed with the other. She threw the book down the hall, hitting Kiba squarely in the back of the head.

Kiba skidded to a stop and turned around, rubbing his head.

"That really hurt." he moaned, eyes closed.

Shikamaru chose this exact moment to walk in the front door.

He looked first at Kiba, who was leaning against the wall, rubbing his head, with an open book lying at his feet.

As if seeking an explanation, he looked to Temari, standing in the bathroom door, looking furious.

_-And really hot._ added his thoughts involuntarily_._ "Do I even want to know?" Shikamaru asked the two ninja, trying-and failing-to keep his eyes off Temari.

His question was met with silence, until Kiba burst out laughing, and Temari quietly answered: "This must look really weird...."

"You have no idea." Shikamaru said, sighing.

He tore his eyes from Temari and grabbed a shirt from the floor. He tossed it to Temari as he sat down, leaning back against the wall.

"This is going to be a long week."


	8. Chapter 8: Take a walk

**A/N: Oh god, I did it again, huh. well, the truth is, I have been SO busy, what with finals and all. No computer access either, which is kinda a problem. Anyways, It's summer now, so stuff sould be up every week at the least. I apologize this chapter is so short, I have about 5 minutes to use the computer, so It's going quickly. **

**Arigato, and don't worry, It'll get better soon.**

**Love, Skye**

"Hello?" Shikamaru said, answering the phone.

"Oh, hi Shikamaru." came a female voice on the other side. "Would you please send Kiba home?"

"Yeah, sure." Shikamaru answered, hanging up the phone as he heard a click on the other side.

This had become somewhat of a routine. Kiba would come over, stay for a while, then be called home by his annoyed older sister. Shikamaru walked into the living room where Kiba had lay on the couch for the past hour, sleeping.

"Kiba. KIBA!" Shikamaru yelled, hitting Kiba over the head with a book, as he was sound asleep.

"I like the new game." Kiba muttered, his eyes flickering open. "Hit Kiba with a book. I see it becoming the national sport." He said sarcastically, sitting up. "You and Temari would be the champions though, no one could beat you two."

"Oh shut up." Shikamaru said. "Your sister called, she sounded mad."

"Ugh. She always sounds mad. I guess I'm not staying here tonight, maybe tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you later." Shikamaru called, closing the door on Kiba and the rainy evening as Temari came pounding down the stairs.

"Thank god he left!" Temari exclaimed. "He can kinda get on your nerves after a while."

Shikamaru smiled at the kunoichi's observation. "Yeah, but he's really not that bad, once you get to know him."

Temari smirked. "I don't know if I'll even try." She sat down on the couch and crossed her legs as she always did, one on top of the other. "So, any plans for tonight?"

"Um-not really." Shikamaru replied. "I was going to hang out with Chouji, but he just got back from his mission."

"Hm...well, then do you want to go out tonight? Show me around town or something?"

"You know your way around town , why do you need me to show you?" Shikamaru asked suspiciously.

Temari blushed, faltering. "I-I just thought it would be better than doing nothing!"

_True. _Shikamaru thought. _Spending a night out with Temari is better than anything ELSE I could be doing..._

_He paused for a moment, thinking. _

_"Actually, that sounds good, Temari. Put a coat on, we're going out." _

_Shikamaru's eyes were on Temari as she explored the foreign city. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sights of Konoha at night. _

"_Why is this so interesting?" Shikamaru asked Temari as they walked down the crowded streets. "Aren't there this many people busy in Suna?"_

_Temari looked at Shikamaru and let out a clear, honest laugh. "No! That's not it. Of course there are this many people. It's the snow! It's beautiful." She said, turning her head to a tree covered in multicoloured lights. _

"_That's not the only beautiful thing..." Shikamaru muttered under his breath. _

_Temari turned her head towards him. "What was that?" she asked, a smile playing around the corner of her mouth. _

'_Uh-the snow! Yeah, it's beautiful. But um, the trees are too. With the, um, lights and stuff..." Shikamaru finished awkwardly. "Anyways, I bet it doesn't snow much in suna."_


	9. Chapter 9: ConfessionLife story

**A/N: Oh, Kami guys. I'm sorry I haven't been posting as I promised. Maybe It's because of a LACK OF COMMENTS *glares around at readers* **

***sigh* **

**Fine, but It will get up faster as you comment. **

**This chapter brings up new issues from our heroes (lol), as well as a shocking confession from Temari. How will Shikamaru take the news? **

**.......wow, really mature. No, she isn't getting a sex change. Jesus you guys....**

**Well, I hope you enjoy. please REVIEW and favorite. I'm sorry this chapter is so short!**

**Peace out.  
**

"Anyways, I bet it doesn't snow much in Suna..." he said, attempting to regain his composure.

"No, it never has, and I bet it never will..." Temari stated, still watching Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye.

"So what other differences are there?" Shikamaru asked inquizitively.

"Well, the people. There are just as many, if not more, but they aren't all good."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Um, drug dealers, prostitiutes, that kinda stuff." she said, seeming quite unfazed by all this.

"Wow. How do you know?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Temari looked up at him, her green eyes attempting to stop the tears welling up in them. "I was on the street A LOT back in Suna. Things at home never worked out that well."

"Well, what happened?" Shikamaru asked "You know, if you want to tell me..."

Temari shook her head. "No, it's fine. After Gaara's mom died giving birth, Dad completly lost it. He was drunk all the time, and only really came home to take the money me and Kankurou worked to earn...So I was always on the street, for one reason or another."

She was quiet for a moment, and then murmured softly, as if she didn't really want Shikamaru to hear,  
but had to say it. "I was raped..."

Shikamaru's eyes grew wide and he took in a sharp breath as he proccesed the information, looking intently at Temari.

_This girl has gone through more than anyone should ever have to in their entire lives!_

Temari looked up at him again, this time attempting to smile. "Well, there's my life story. Shika-kun, I'm sorry I'm crying, this is stupid. We were supposed to be having fun..."

Shikamaru noticed the use of this nickname, which he hated so much when Ino-or anyone else used it, but this time, he didn't mind.

As if in response to Temari's confession, but more on impulse, Shikamaru leaned down and kissed her. He didn't notice, He didn't care that the whole village could've been watching. At the time, this was the right thing to do.

.........................

As the next day passed, both Temari and Shikamaru tried to pretend the kiss wasn't on their minds, though It would've been obvious to anyone else that something was going on. The two were nicer to each other, if not avoiding each other, and Temari, strangely, seemed more shy.

Needless to say, this was a shocking contradiction to her usual personality.

One cold morning, Shikamaru woke up and went downstairs, fully expecting to see Temari at the table as she so often was.

Instead, he was greeted with a note.

_Shikamaru: I went to Tenten's house. Be back later, or see you around town. Love, Temari_

Shikamaru read this note, then scanned over it again, staring absently out at the snow.

_S__he signed 'love'._

_But maybe that's just the way she signs things....she IS the Kazekage's daughter after all..._he thought, slipping the note in his pocket, and grabbing an apple off the table.

"Troublesome woman..." he concluded, sighing as he sad this out loud, stepping out the door into the freshly fallen snow.


	10. Chapter 10: Red dress

**A/N: Hey guys, I have to say, you did remarkably with the reviews this time, Arigato. Ok, so here's another short chapter, the story is really getting started now. Also, Tenten mentions christmas here, and I just have to say, I know they don't have christmas. It's only for the plot's sake. =) Read and Review please!**

**10th CHAPTER ANNIVERSARY! =D  
**

"Ugh, Tenten, It's just not...me."

"What do you mean?!" Exclaimed Tenten, looking intently at Temari's reflection in the full-length mirror.

"The colour is great, it's pretty hot, if I dare say so and, um..it just looks good, ok? You SAID I could help pick what you wore..."

"Um, it's RED." said Temari. "Why is that such a great colour?"

"It's CONFIDENT." chirped Tenten, happily studying her own reflection.

Temari sighed, closing her eyes and lazily flopping down on Tentens bed. "why do we even have to dress up?" moaned Temari, a bit over-dramatically. "It's not like, REQUIRED, is it?"

"No..." Tenten replied. "But It's almost Christmas, and..." she trailed off, smiling to herself.

"And WHAT?" Temari asked, preparing herself for whatever bizarre reason Tenten had thought up.

"Well, me and Sakura were thinking, and we agreed that you might wanna show up Ino a little bit."

Temari abbruptly opened one eye and narrowwed it suspiciously. "Why would I need-or WANT to do that?" she asked catiously. "well, everyone knows that you both like Shika, and we though-"

"Why do you think that?!?!" yelled Temari, burying her face in Tenten's pillow and attmpting to stifle a loud scream. "Uh, hello? You KISSED him. If you don't like him, what the hell are you kissing him for?"

Temari looked up from the pillow, her eyes wide in shock. "What are you talking about?" Temari demanded.

"I knew it was true! See, Chouji told me he saw it, but he's just not the most reliable source. You saying it never happened really confirms it!" Tenten said, launching into one of her self-assured rants.

"Tenten, come on. You're being mean." came a voice from the doorway as Sakura and Hinata walked in.

"By the way Temari, your brother's here. Kankurou, right? The tall one. He's been standing outside for like, 15 minutes."

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Temari, rushing to the window. Sure enough, there stood Kankurou, sans kitty hat, talking to Kiba outside the house.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Yelled Temari as she rushed down the stairs, jumping the last few.

"I don't know, we figured the visit was planned." muttered Hinata to no one in particular. The three laughed, then rushed to the window to watch.

Kankurou looked away from Kiba as he heard the door to Tenten's house slam shut. Temari stepped out of the house, looking flustered and suprised. "She looks...different." muttered Kankurou as Temari approached. "I don't know, she's always been that pretty." remarked Kiba.

Kankurou glared at him. "Don't think that way about my sister!"

Unfazed, Kiba replied; "Hey, it's not ME you need to watch out for, it's Shika thinking that way!"

"God. Whatever Kiba." Kankurou said, rolling his eyes.

"I better go..." Kiba said awkwardly. "She doesn't look too happy to see me..."

Sure enough, Temari's eyes narrowed when she saw Kiba, but the look on her face changed to amusement as he darted away.

"What are you doing here?!" She asked her brother. The look on her face was a mixture of shock and exitement. "I missed you? Where's Gaara?" she asked as she stepped up and hugged him.

Kankurou laughed. "We all miss you. Yura said to say hi for him."

Temari stuck her tounge out and sighed. "God, he's weird."

"Yeah, I've always thought that. Gaara sent me here to check on you. The training department wants you to take on a team, because you're a Jonin and all.  
I tried to tell them you'd make a horrible teacher..."

"Oh, thanks for that." Temari said, only half joking. "I don't think I'll be done here for a while though...the Chunin exams aren't quite over..." she said, motioning for Kankurou to begin walking with her.

"Well then, with any luck, you won't have to teach!"

Temari laughed. "I miss you guys. And Suna. As much as I love everything here, it's just so different."

"Yeah, I noticed. The smells, trees, food, houses...where are you staying, by the way?"

"Um-" Temari faltered. _Shit, he's so protective...well, he's bound to find out soon anyways..._

"Uh, you know Shikamaru, the guy I fought last in the chunin exams?"

"Oh, Temari, Don't tell me you're staying with a guy, especially Shikamaru."

"Shut up! It's not my choice! And what do you mean, ESPECIALLY Shikamaru, at least it's not Kiba!"

"Ugh." said Kankurou. "Well, actually, I'm meeting some people really soon, I'd better go."

Temari noticed the obvious dissaproval in Kankurou's voice. She decided to let him calm down, but her curiousity got the better of her.

"Who are you meeting?"

"Some guys. Naruto, Neji, Kiba...and Shikamaru will be there too."

Kankurou walked off, leaving Temari alone. _Well, that ended nicely. _ she thought, walking off to the center of the city.


	11. Chapter 11: Afraid of cooties?

**A/N: Oh my God this one has been trouble to write. =p I'm no good at the fluffy stuff. Anyhow, this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones, and I tried to make it through typing by listening to Final Fantasy music, and the Caramell Dansen, as well as a few others. (By the way, the name of this fic was inspired by Michelle Branch's 'everywhere', if you haven't figured that out.) Plus, as a confession, this fic has been finished for months, I'm just typing it out a bit at a time! Anyways, enjoy this chapter, it was a bit hard to write, and I feel a bit awkward about it, it might need work! As always, reviews and favorites are appriciated!**

"I really don't want to dress up though…" Naruto complained, pushing aside a box to reveal a small wooden chair.

"Sorry." Said Kiba, "But I already asked the girls to dress up, and it would be unfair if we didn't."

"Yeah, because Kiba has _always_ cared about fairness." Kankurou said.

"why do _we_ have to clean? It's your house Kiba." Shikamaru stated bluntly, flopping down on the couch.

"That's kinda gross." Said Neji, walking in and noticing the dust flying off the couch.

"Huh?" Shikamaru said, looking up lazily at the dust specks.

"Seriously, what do you want us to wear? I think I speak for everyone when I say we don't have dress clothes!" Neji explained to Kiba, who looked as if he has just began to consider this.

"Neji, you don't NEED dress clothes." Muttered Sasuke from the corner. "It's not as if you've got to impress anyone, you have Tenten."

"Shut up emo boy, you stupid hypocrite." Moaned Kiba. "Girls THROW themselves at you!"

Kankurou stepped into the center of the room and spread his hands in a mock gesture of peace. "Not to b self-pitying or anything, but you both have 99% better chances of landing a date than me."

"Kankurou, you can have Ino." Threw in Shikamaru from the couch, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Who?" asked Kankurou.

The question was met with shocked stares and glances throught the room.

"Um, Ino. You know, skinny, blonde, somewhat annoying?" Lee explained, using pathetic gestures to try and explain.

"…I'm not sure I know her." Kankurou finished after thinking for a minute.

"She's like, the only blonde here!" exclaimed Naruto, looking at Kankurou incrediously.

"Besides his sister." Shikamaru pointed out.

Sasuke whistled. "It looks like Shikamaru has finally taken interest in a girl!"

"Yeah, Shika, what happened to 'Women are troublesome.'?" Asked Naruto, putting air quotes around the line Shikamaru so often used.

"Maybe he _likes_ the troublesome girls." Neji pointed out, smiling suggestively.

"I sure hope so, because-"

"Everyone, SHUT UP!" Shikamaru shouted, blusing slightly. "I don't like her!"

"Shikamaru…" Kankurou looked as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"I've gotta go home now. I'll see you guys later." Mumbled Shikamaru, leaving the room.

"…He likes her." Came Kiba's voice after a moment of silence.

"No shit Kiba, really?" was Sasuke's sarcastic remark.

"Uhhh." There was a loud 'thunk' as Kankurou's head hit the table.

Just then, Chouji walked in, a puzzled look on his face. "Hey guys, Shikamaru looked…upset. Did something happen?"

"See, I told you guys to shut up." Kiba said.

After a moment of silence, a book flew through the air, hitting Kiba on the head.

"Would it KILL YOU TO MAKE THIS EASY FOR ONCE!?!?!" Temari screamed to the city of Konoha. She sat in the crook of the tree that grew on a small platform tucked into the Hokage monument. "AND it's cold!!" she added as an afterthought.

"If you think this is cold, be here Febuary." Shikamaru remarked, appearing over the stairs.

"How's your day been?" Temari asked, sighing and ignoring her heart, which seemed to be beating faster.

"Ugh. Not so good." Said Shikamaru, looking up at Temari. "Wait- why are you wearing glasses?" he asked, a wry smile playing on his face.

Temari's hand flew to her eyes. "Um-I was reading." She said, pointing to a book nestled between the branches. "What, you think it's hot?" she challenged, eyes narrowed.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. Of course he did think it was hot, but he couldn't admit it. "Oh! Um, no, I just." He stuttered, then was interrupted by Temari.

"Shika, relax!" she laughed, her face lighting up. "I was joking! I hate wearing glasses, but they halp me out a bit."

Shikamaru looked up at her, an amused smile on his face, then turned around and leaned on the guardrail overlooking Konoha. "Why are you here so much? You could be anywhere, why do you come here?" The question wasn't rude, merely curious.

_Oh, wouldn't you like to know._ Temari thought to herself. She took a deep breath. _Well, what have I got to loose?_ She jumped down from the tree and landed softly on her feet, then stepped lightly towards him. She wrapped her arms softly around his neck from behind. _Here goes nothing._ She thought. "Why do you think?" She whispered, seeming, for the first time in a while, truly unsure of herself.

"I'm not sure what your reason is. I still can't figure you out." Shikamaru said softly, turning to face Temari.

"But whatever the reason is….keep coming back." He said, leaning down and kissing her softly, as if afraid she might reject it. He pulled away slowly, smiling slightly.

"What?" Temari asked. "Afraid of cooties?" she asked, a flirty smile on her lips.

"You sure are troublesome…" Shikamaru said, blushing and looking away.

"And you like it." Temari said, teasing.

"Yeah, That would be the best way to put it." Shikamaru replied, holding her tightly.

Temari leaned in again, pressing her lips to Shikamaru's and not pulling away for a good 20 seconds. Finally she did, leaving Shikamaru momentarily stunned.

"See you later then!" She said, smiling, slightly flushed. She stepped over to the tree where she grabbed her fan and the book she'd been reading. Without another word she bounded down the steps back towards the rainy city. Shikamaru stood there in the still-falling snow, at a loss for words.


	12. Chapter 12: Come inside

* * *

**A/N: Wow guys. I am REALLY sorry this one is so short! I'm also trying to post a new fic today, so I'm kinda busy! As always, read and review! Thanks!

* * *

**

"Why are you so wet?!" exclaimed Chouji as Shikamaru walked into the house.

"Um, I was outside." Shikamaru replied, gesturing to the windows. "It's snowing. Hard." He finished, walking to the bathrom and putting his soaked shirt on the floor.

"Chouji, can I borrow a shirt?"

"Yeah." He replied simply. "When you tell me what you were doing out there."

"Well…" Shikamaru said innocently, looking up at the ceiling. "I'll tell you if you can guess even close."

Chouji laughed. "You make this too easy."

"Allright then, shoot." Shikamaru said, smirking confidently. He knew Chouji would never guess.

"You were out with Temari." He stated casually, picking up a dry shirt and tossing it to Shikamaru, who looked at Chouji, shocked.

"What the hell?! How did you know that?!" He exclaimed, pulling the shirt over his head.

"Well, I knew you were outside. That's a given. It looks like someone's been messing with your hair a bit, and everytime you see her, you get this kinda stupid look on your face." Chouji explained. "But that doesn't really matter. You like her a lot, don't you? I don't really know her that well. What's she like?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, I really do like her. She's…troublesome, that's for sure, but she can be really sweet…"

Chouji smirked. God, how Shikamaru hated it when Chouji smirked. Good things NEVER happened when Chouji smirked!

"She's a good kisser too, I'd bet." He trailed off, looking at Shikamaru with mock curiosity.

Shikamaru blushed, looking reluctant to reply.

"What does it matter to you?" he asked after a minute.

"Oh, no. Don't take it that way, I'm not interested. I was just curious." He smiled again, taking in Shikamaru's feirce blush. "She's the first girl you've ever liked, isn't she? And on top of it all, you're in love with her!"

The room was silent until Shikamaru abbruptly stood up and announced: "I have to get home."

"Ok." Said Chouji, still smiling slightly. "But I take that as a yes!" he shouted after shikamaru as the front door closed.


	13. Chapter 13: Spin the bottle

**A/N: Hey guys, it's firsttry. Well, different name, same person.**

**I noticed recently that this story is nearing the end, the next chapter should be the last. As usual, I'm sorry this one is so short. The next (and last) installment should possibly be up tomorrow. It's really slow, because school started up again, and I have auditions this monday...*stress* **

**Anyways, thanks immensley to everyone who has read, reviewed, or otherwise inspired me. Without you, I would not still be writing thios thing! XD**

**ShikaxTemaFTW**

**R+R please!**

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"You know if this snow doesn't melt, or stop falling NOW, we'll all be stuck here, right?" Tenten asked Kiba as 9pm came, and the snow showed no signs of stopping.

"It'll be ok." said Kiba, grinning widely. "They don't need to go home. They can stay up all night!" he finished, gesturing to the various group of people crammed into his modestly-sized house.

"No Kiba, people need SLEEP." Tenten remarked, then sighed."At least they're having fun...she mumbled, somewhat exhausted by Kiba's usual easy-going party boy additude.

"Oh, I have a better idea for fun." remarked Neji, coming up behind the two and wrapping his arms around Tenten's waist, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, then released her and pulled up a chair. "Allright everybody!" he began, pulling himself up to stand on the chair, "It's time to play spin the bottle!"

The room errupted into noise, with everyone either cheering wildly, or booing the idea.

"Ok guys, calm down, I know I'm a genius, no need to cheer." at this, the crowd laughed.

"Wow. Tenten, you got yourself a damn cocky boyfriend." laughed Ino from where she stood a few feet away, talking to Chouji.  
Tenten rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. "At times like this, I just ignore him, you know?"

"Everyone go to the middle of the room, by where Sasuke is. I"m sure you all know him." Neji continued from his pedestal atop the small chair.

Heads turned toward the center of the room as Sasuke smiled and waved.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as most of the guests made it to the middle of the small room, the attention turned back to Neji, who looked at them quizzically. "Well, go! You know how to play, I'm sure", he said, jumping lightly off the chair.

"This is just great. Spin the bottle." Temari moaned as she and Sakura made their way to Sasuke and the middle of Kiba's living room.

"Well, it could be ok, you never know who you might end up with." Sakura said with a wink.  
Temari shot her a death glare. "There's only one person I could even STAND having to kiss in this entire godforsaken village, and I'm not even sure he's here." Temari said, hiding what seemed to be slight dissapointment with scathing words.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." Sakura said, pointing at a small group of people standing slightly away from the large mob.

Temari could feel her face flush as Shikamaru looked up and flashed her a lazy smile.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rounds of spin the bottle came and went, and hilarity ensued. Tenten fervently tried to explain that she couldn't kiss Sasuke because, "His name starts with an 'S'. That's a TOTAL turnoff."

It also turned out that the seemingly simple rules had to be explained-more than once-because people couldn't grasp the fact that you actually had to LET GO of the bottle for it to classify as a spin. You could not, in fact, simply point the bottle at the individual you wanted to kiss.

Hinata made a game out of predicting where the spin would land, and was right a shocking percentage of the time.  
When her clairvoyance was exploited by Lee as "Just another side effect of the byakugan, there was a huge argument.

Whatever the reason, people began to trust the Hyuuga heiress's predictions. Naturally, when Shikamaru's turn came, Hinata made a prediction.  
"Allright, this time it will land on Ino."

_'Well, fuck.'_ Temari thought._ 'I guess it would have been embarassing if it were me, but...this...I'm...jealous. Anyone but Ino, please be wrong for once, Hina.  
_

Across the circle, Shikamaru closed his eyes as he spun the green bottle. _Green like Temari's eyes..._he thought, spinning the bottle.

He opened his eyes as Hinata spoke.  
"I can't be right all the time." she pointed out, shrugging.

Shikamaru looked down at the bottle, pointing across the circle at the sand kunoichi, who seemed to be blushing. "Get on with it!" Naruto yelled, seemingly impatient for it to become his turn.

"I don't know, it's kinda cute." Ino said, looking carefully at the two.

Shikamaru looked awkwardly at Temari, who again, looked unsure of herself. As she met his gaze, however, this look was replaced with a small smile.  
Without a word, they leaned across the circle and kissed.

Temari pulled away as the whistles and laughter around the circle made it apparent it had been longer than the usual short kiss.  
Shikamaru sat up straight, slightly flushed,as the bottle was passed clockwise around the circle. He attempted to focus on Naruto, the next spinner, but his attention was drawn to Chouji, who was still laughing.

"You answered my question." Chouji whispered smugly . "Both, actually. It seems she's a good kisser, AND I think you love her." he finished quietly, but it was wasted on Shikamaru, whos eyes were still on the Kunoichi across the circle.


	14. Chapter 14: The last night

**A/N: Well. Here we are, finally! This has taken WAAAAY longer than planned, and you can blame that on school. -_- I have some finals coming up, so it's crunch time for me! ^_^ Augh, but still, I feel so accomplished for finishing this. I wrote it back when I didn't know 'fanfiction' existed. I was just an oh-so obsessed kid, who wished things would go a bit differently between Shikamaru and Temari. Thank you all so much for sticking with this story until the end, you're what motivated me to write! **

**One final thing to take into consideration: *sweatdrop* ahh, my 'A' key is broken, so it's a major labor of love to copypaste that character into all this. If one or two are missing, I apologize, and please point that out. **

**Read and Review, and THANK YOU.**

**~Miria**

* * *

The game continued for another hour, when at 10:30, it was revealed that the snow was falling to heavily for anyone to get home easily.  
"And since Im a perfect gentleman, whoever wants to stay the night can." announced Kiba.  
As the lights came back on, Shikamaru stood up and left the circle. He made his way through the crowded room and stepped outisde onto the covered porch.  
The snow continued to fall as the orange glow from the porch light cast long shadows across the small yard. He leaned against the railing and exhaled heavily, his breath creating small clouds in the night air.  
'Holy shit.' he thought as he looked out into the snow. Shikamaru glanced up as the door opened and Sasuke came out. "It is WAY too loud in there." he said, shaking his head. "And I don't know what, but I'm pretty sure the girls are plotting something, so watch out."  
"Ugh.." Shikamaru groaned. "Not as if I'm really suprised though..." Sasuke laughed. "I can't honestly say I am either." he rolled up the sleeves of his dress coat. "I can't believe Kiba made us dress up...I mean, the girls look fantasitic, but..." he trailed off.  
"I know what you mean, we look ridiculous." "Yeah. So are you trying to get honight, or willl you stay here?" asked Sasuke.  
"I'm not sure. It's Temari's last night here-" he blushed. "Um, not that that really matters at all..."  
Sasuke laughed again. "So? what are you gonna do?" he held up one hand defensively, leaning lazily against the opposite railing. "I know it's not really my buisness, but you should probably tell her how you feel before she goes back. Who knows when she'll be here again."  
"Yeah, I know..." Shikamaru began. "I-I just don't really know how."  
"Oh, wait, you too me seriously?" Sasuke asked, looking up and smirking. "I knew you liked her." he said, grinning. "Anyways, why don't you just come inside." Sasuke looked into the window and smiled again. "It looks like everyone's getting settled for the night, we should probably get ready too."  
Shikamaru nodded once as he turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

* * *

Temari and Shikamaru left the house, the noise slowly dying down as they got father away. "Well, that was-" "Fun?" Shikamaru innterupted, finishing her sentence. "Yeah, you could say that." she replied. Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh as they continued walking through the snow. They walked in silence, matching eachother step for step, until Shiakmaru began to fall back. Strangely, Temari didn't notice this, at least until a snowball hit her back.  
"What the fuck?!" she exclaimed, looking back at the shinobi 20 feet away. He merely smiled and laughed, not noticing the way Temari's eyes fell on him. It had been hard to see him at the party, in the crowded room, packed with people, but now in the light from the street lamps, she could see him painfully clearly.  
His hair, usually tied back severely, was still up, but looser, with some dark strands falling out. He was norally in his black pants and Jounin vest, and sure, she had NOTICED he was in a suit, but she never noticed how GOOD he looked in it.  
There was a mischevious look in his eyes as he studied her. "Who's staring now?" he asked as she turned away, blushing. "Fucker. I wasn't STARING. Let's just get back to the house, ok?" she said, beggining to walk away.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to spend the night there?" Shikamaru asked as he unlocked the door to his house. "Yeah." she said, stepping inside and taking off her coat. "Besides, isn't it a bit late for going back? They're probably all asleep."  
"Not with Kiba there."  
"True." laughed Temari, walking into Shikamaru's room and stepping over to the bathroom where she kept all her clothes. "I'm gonna go change, can I use this bathroom?"  
"Um, sure." Shikamaru said, standing in the doorway, scratching the back of his head. "But couldn't you just use my mom's bathroom?" "Yeah, but I'd have to walk across the house. This is way closer." she replied, locking the door behind her.  
"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered to himself, wallking to the closet and grabbing a towel. 'I might as well shower when she gets out, I'm already wet'  
Shikamaru turned his head as he heard the bathroom door open. Temari came out wearing the oversized shirt Shikamaru had thrown her the day she got there, and short red shorts.  
Shikamaru coughed once, and looked down, a feirce blush creeping onto his face. "Uh, I'm gonna go shower." he said, brushing past her roughly and shutting the door loudly.  
'Stupid Shika.' she thought as she walked over to sit on his bed. 'I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow.' she thought, flopping down on the bed. 'I mean, I didn't really want to come here in the first place, but now I don't really want to leave...' Temari felt her eyes getting heavy, and did nothing to stop them from closing.  
'Whatever. I'll jus make sure Gaara sends me here more often'  
Suddenly, a voice popped up inside her head.  
'Come on, admit it. It's only because you like Shikamaru. You REALLY like Shikamaru, and you don't want to leave here before you tell him. That's why you want to stay'  
'Yeah? So what if that's true?' she countered as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Shikamaru stepped out of the bathroom and looked to his bed. The only sound in the room was the clock, and Temari's soft, even breathing. He smiled as he looked at her. 'God, she actually looks peaceful for once'  
He shook his head, ralizing something.  
'Wait, what the hell is she doing still in here'  
'Well, what are you waiting for?!?' his mind offered. 'Go sleep next to her'  
'I could....Shikamaru thought. 'It is my bed, I have every right! The bed's big enough, I could just sleep on the OTHER SIDE. If this doesn't work out...I never really have to see her again...yeah right.  
Shikamaru walked over to the bed and lay down on the side opposite Temari. He looked up at the ceiling, putting way too much effort into staying stone-still.  
Shikamaru lay in silence for a minute, feeling the heat radiate from her body. He turned towards her, looking at her peaceful expression by the moonlight streaming through the blinds.  
'You've got to go for what you want.'he thought, remembering his late teacher Asuma's words. 'Shikamaru, you'll never get what you want by being lazy and waiting for things to come to you'  
'Thanks, Asuma-sensei.' Shikamaru muttered, rolling his eyes.  
Still, he took a deep breath and shifted closer to Temari, draping his arm around her. They lay in silence for a moment, then Shikamaru felt Temari snuggle a bit closer to him.  
There was nothing Shikamaru could do but smile.

* * *

Shikamaru woke up as the sunlight streamed through the blinds onto his face.  
'It's too early to be up...' he thought, glaring at his clock as if that alone could change the time.  
No, it was still 10:17 am.  
He looked down at Temari, still sleeping peacefully. 'To early for this to end.' he smiled. 'Who knew she'd sleep this late'  
'...I can't believe I've finally got this figured out.' he thought.  
"I love you." Shikamaru whispered to the sleeping kunoichi.  
It was much to his suprise when he felt the girl's breathing momentrily stop and her body go rigid. "I-I love you too." she responded, opening her eyes, the look on her face changing to a sweet smile that made his heart beat faster, and left what he was sure was a stupid look on his face.  
Temari laughed at his expression and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
'God, she's so cute'  
"And you know what?" Temari asked playfully, flopping back down on the bed next to him.  
"Um..what?" Shikamaru asked, truly stumped as to what she could come up with next.  
"I'll never stop." she said, turning over and pulling him into a soft kiss.

Now Temari was certainly not the 'Not-too pretty, not too ugly' girl he had wanted to end up with, and GOD was she troublesome. The same things Shikamaru had no desire for were exactly what he loved about Temari.

He wouldn't say love wasn't troublesome, but maybe-just maybe- he didn't mind being in it.


End file.
